I have become sentimental in the days leading up to today. And I have given a lot of thought about how I got here, how all the broken parts of me somehow reassembled.

In my first months of my recovery, you gave me the confidence to smile. And in so doing, you gave me my voice again. Your work allowed me to awaken the part of myself that spoke without caring about the shape of my mouth, the gaps in my teeth. I could focus on the words again. And I could be heard.

The work you do so generously in Homeless But Not Toothless is vital to people like me. It is immeasurable. You and everyone on your staff have always taken such great care of me and I am grateful. The fact that I am treated so well in both your practices, HNT and your private practice, speaks volumes about the integrity of you and your staff.

When I reflect on the major moments of these years, how I managed to arrive to this place of peace, I realize now - it is the people of my life who brought me here. A small handful of people and you are among them.